Control valve for shot peening

Abstract

A control valve (100) comprises a conduit (102), a controller (104), a sensor unit (106; 146, 148), a cylindrical housing (112) and one or more regulating columns (124, 126). The conduit further comprises a hollow cylindrical body (114) and two smaller and shorter cylindrical extensions (116, 118) for the insertion of the regulating columns which are orthogonal to the hollow cylindrical body and provide a contactless means to control the flow of the medium (101) in the conduit.

Claims

1. A control valve for regulating shot peening, the control valve comprising: a conduit for transferring a ferrous shot medium; a magnet aligned with the conduit for applying a magnetic field to the ferrous shot medium; and an oscillator connected to the magnet for causing the magnetic field to oscillate from 8 Hz to 30 Hz, wherein the magnet comprises a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet and the second magnet being at an angle so as to not be parallel with respect to each other for regulating transference of the ferrous shot medium by the magnetic field, and wherein the oscillator is configured to change polarity of the magnetic field.

2. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the magnet comprises an electromagnet.

3. The control valve of claim 2, wherein the electromagnet comprises a magnetic conductor as an extension.

4. The control valve of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit that is connected to the magnet for operating the magnet as a closed feedback loop.

5. A shot peening equipment for enhancing fatigue strength of components, the shot peening equipment comprising: the control valve of claim 1; and a nozzle connected to the control valve for directing the ferrous shot medium to an object.

6. A method for regulating a ferrous shot medium, the method comprising: providing ferrous shot medium; presenting a first magnet and a second magnet that are at an angle so as to not be parallel with respect to each other for generating a magnetic field to the ferrous shot medium in order to regulate transference of the ferrous shot medium; oscillating the magnet for causing the magnetic field to oscillate from 8 Hz to 30 Hz and for changing polarity of the magnetic field; and circulating used shot medium in a shot peening machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the presenting the first magnet and the second magnet comprises regulating the magnetic field according to the transference of the ferrous shot medium.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the presenting the first magnet and the second magnet comprises accelerating, decelerating, stopping, shaking, pushing the ferrous medium or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the presenting the first magnet and the second magnet comprises conducting the magnetic field from a permanent magnet, an electromagnet or both.

10. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the oscillator comprises an electronic oscillator for converting direct current from a power supply to an alternating current.

11. A control valve for regulating shot peening, the control valve comprising: a conduit for transferring a ferrous shot medium; a magnet aligned with the conduit for applying a magnetic field to the ferrous shot medium; an oscillator connected to the magnet for causing the magnetic field to oscillate from 8 Hz to 30 Hz; and a housing for enclosing the magnet in order to prevent infiltration of foreign particles or moisture, wherein the housing comprises at least one detachable cover for allowing access to internal components of the control valve, and wherein the oscillator is configured to change polarity of the magnetic field.

12. The control valve of claim 11, wherein the magnet comprises an electromagnet.

13. The control valve of claim 12, wherein the electromagnet comprises a magnetic conductor as an extension.

14. The control valve of claim 11, further comprising a control circuit that is connected to the magnet for operating the magnet as a closed feedback loop.

15. The control valve of claim 11, wherein the oscillator comprises an electronic oscillator for converting direct current from a power supply to an alternating current.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting oscillation rate of the magnet according to flow rate of the ferrous shot medium.

17. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the conduit further comprises a first cylindrical extension and a second cylindrical extension for inserting the first magnet and the second magnet, respectively, and wherein the first cylindrical extension and the second cylindrical extension are spaced apart equally by an acute angle of less of than less ninety degrees.

18. The control valve of claim 17, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet comprises a first cylindrical rod and a second cylindrical rod configured to insert into the first cylindrical extension and the second cylindrical extension, respectively.

19. The control valve of claim 11, wherein the conduit further comprises a hollow cylindrical body, and a first cylindrical extension and a second extension joined orthogonally to the hollow cylindrical body.

20. The control valve of claim 19, wherein the magnet comprises a first cylindrical rod and a second cylindrical rod configured to insert into the first cylindrical extension and the second cylindrical extension, respectively.

Description

(1) The accompanying figures (FIGS.) illustrate embodiments and serve to explain principles of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that these figures are presented for purposes of illustration only, and not for defining limits of relevant inventions.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a control valve without a cylindrical housing; and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates the first embodiment of the control valve installed in a cylindrical housing and a nozzle attached to an end of a bottom magnetic field sensor.

(4) Exemplary, non-limiting embodiments of the present application will now be described with references to the above-mentioned figures.

(5) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a control valve 100. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a control valve 100 without a cylindrical housing 112.

(6) Ferromagnetic media 101 (e.g. cast iron balls of similar or diverse sizes) are supplied through the inlet port 120 travelling down in the conduit 102 by gravitational force.

(7) The control valve 100 comprises a conduit 102, a controller 104, a sensor unit 106, at least one regulating column and a cylindrical housing 112.

(8) The conduit 102 further comprises a hollow cylindrical body 114 and two smaller and shorter cylindrical extensions 116,118 joined orthogonally to the hollow cylindrical body 114. On one end of the hollow cylindrical body 114 is the inlet port 120. On the opposite end of the hollow cylindrical body 114 is the outlet port 122. The approximate length of the hollow cylindrical body 114 is one hundred and fifty millimetres, 150 mm. The cross sectional diameter of the hollow cylindrical body is about thirty millimetres, 30 mm.

(9) Approximately in the middle length of the hollow cylindrical body 114, a first concentric hole is bored on a surface of the cylindrical body 114 and a second concentric hole is bored on the surface in an opposite side of the cylindrical body 114.

(10) The diameter of the said concentric holes is about twenty millimetres, 20 mm. The two concentric holes are further enlarged and elongated by cutting in an orthogonal direction relative to the length of the cylindrical body 114 maintaining the twenty millimetres, 20 mm diameter. The depth of the cut for the two bored holes is about ten millimetres, 10 mm at a front section and slightly more than ten millimetres, 10 mm at a rear section. This forms two slanted bored elongated holes in the middle cross section of the hollow cylindrical body 114. The hollow cylindrical body 114 is made of a metallic material of a non-ferrous characteristics. One example can be brass which contains the main constituent elements of copper and zinc. Alternatively, aluminium can be used.

(11) There is a first cylindrical extension 116 and a second cylindrical extension 118 that are approximately forty millimetres, 40 mm in length and having a hollow internal cavity which is approximately twenty millimetres, 20 mm in diameter.

(12) In a first distal end of the first cylindrical extension 116, there is a concentric opening with a diameter of less than twenty millimetres, 20 mm and in a second distal end, opposite to the first distal end is enclosed. On a length of the first cylindrical extension 116 is a cavity bored of about thirty millimetres, 30 mm in length with a depth of one half of the diameter or about more than ten millimetres, 10 mm longitudinally. The bored cavity (not shown) having access to the hollow internal cavity of the said first cylindrical extension 116. The second cylindrical extension 118 is made similarly according to the first cylindrical extension 116. The first and the second cylindrical extensions 116,118 are made of non-ferrous material like brass or aluminium.

(13) The first and the second cylindrical extensions 116,118 with the bored cavities are joined orthogonally relative to the two bored surfaces of the hollow cylindrical body 114. The cylindrical extensions 116,118 and the hollow cylindrical body 114 can be welded together or can be moulded in a cast to form a seamless conduit.

(14) A first regulating column 108 further comprise a first magnetic field conductor 124, a first coil 128, a first terminal block 132 and a first permanent magnet 136 that are serially connected. Similarly, a second regulating column 110 further comprise a second magnetic field conductor 126, a second coil 130, a second terminal block 134 and a second permanent magnet 138 that are sequentially joined together.

(15) The first magnetic field conductor 124 has a first cylindrical rod 140 and a first octagonal shaped rod 141 joined together at one end. The first magnetic field conductor 124 with the cylindrical rod end is inserted into the first distal end of the first cylindrical extension 116 having a concentric opening. The first magnetic field conductor 124 is made of ferrous material like an alloy containing iron and other elements. The first magnetic conductor 124 is slightly more than eighty millimetres in length from the first cylindrical rod 140 end to the first octagonal shaped rod 141 end. The first cylindrical rod 140 has a cross sectional diameter of approximately twenty millimetres, 20 mm so as to insert into the first cylindrical extension 116 of the cylindrical body 114. The cross sectional width of the first octagonal shaped rod 141 is approximately twenty millimetres, 20 mm.

(16) The first coil 128 has a square shaped periphery with an octagonal shaped hollow core with a metallic wire coiled around the core encompassing the entire surface of the length of the first coil 128. The core is made of a magnetic material with a high magnetic permeability. The hollow core of the first coil 128 is joined to the first octagonal shaped rod 141 of the first magnetic field conductor 124. The first coil 128 square shaped periphery has a similar length and width which is approximately thirty-five millimetres, 35 mm on each side. The hollow core of the first coil 128 has an inner width of about twenty millimetres, 20 mm allowing the insertion of the first octagonal shaped rod 141.

(17) A first terminal block 132 is joined to the opposite side of the first coil 128. The first terminal block 132 is a square shape soft magnet with relatively low coercecivity (i.e. magnetic coercivity, coercive field or coercive force) as compared to the first permanent magnet 136. The first terminal block 132 has a cross sectional shape of a square having a dimension of thirty-five millimetres, 35 mm on each length. The thickness of the first terminal block is approximately twenty millimetres, 20 mm.

(18) The first permanent magnet 136 is joined to the side of the first terminal block 132 by magnetic attraction.

(19) A second regulating column 110 is assembled similar to the first regulating column 108 with similar dimensions. A second cylindrical rod 142 of the second magnetic field conductor 126 is inserted into the second cylindrical extension 118. A second octagonal shaped rod 143 of the second magnetic field conductor 126 is inserted into a hollow core of a second coil 130. A second terminal block 138 is joined at the opposite side of the second coil 130. A second permanent magnet 138 is magnetically attracted to a side of the second terminal block 134, the first terminal block 132 and the first permanent magnet 136. The first terminal block 132 and the second terminal block 134 are joined at the sides by the magnetic attractive forces of the first permanent magnet 136 and the second permanent magnet 138 stacked above each other which are positioned in between the two terminal blocks 132,134. The two regulating columns 108,110 formed a V shaped magnet with the first and second magnetic field conductor 124,126 converging and inserted into the two cylindrical extensions 116,118 of the hollow cylindrical body 114 respectively.

(20) The ferromagnetic materials used for the magnetic field conductors 124, 126 are optionally iron, nickel, cobalt and alloys of these materials.

(21) The controller unit 104 comprises an input means, a processing unit and an output means having a tactile display, a microcontroller, a plurality of electronics components, electrical connections and an output port.

(22) The electrical connections provide wiring from the first coil 128, the second coil 130, the tactile display and a bottom magnetic field sensor 146 to the microcontroller. The controller unit 104 and the tactile display is located externally, from the conduit 102.

(23) The sensor unit 106 comprises at least one sensor. One of them is located inside the conduit 102 in particular around the periphery of the hollow cylindrical body 114 nearing the inlet port 120 as shown in FIG. 2 and the outlet port 122 of the conduit 102. The magnetic field sensors 146,148 is constructed using two hollow cylindrical frame 144 with a wire coil around the periphery along its whole length. The length of the hollow cylindrical frame 144 is about fifty millimetres, 50 mm with a diameter shorter than the hollow cylindrical body 114.

(24) FIG. 2 illustrates the first embodiment of the control valve 100 installed in a cylindrical housing 112 and a nozzle 174 attached to an end of a bottom magnetic field sensor 146.

(25) The cylindrical housing 112 positioned on a horizontal plane with two circular ends and two circular holes 154,156 bored orthogonally from top to bottom relative to the horizontal plane of the said housing 112, a flat lid 158 with at least one communication port 162 located at a first circular end 150 of the said housing 112, the controller unit 104 disposed at the second circular end 152 of the said housing 112 and a half-spherical lid 160 enclosing the controller unit 104 to the second circular end 152 of the cylindrical housing 112. The cylindrical housing has an approximate length of two hundred millimetres, 200 mm and a cross sectional diameter of approximately ninety millimetres, 90 mm to accommodate the two regulating columns 124,126 of conduit 102 within.

(26) The conduit 102 having the cylindrical body 114 with two cylindrical extensions 116,118, magnetic field sensors 146,148 and two regulating columns 108,110 is installed into the cylindrical housing 112 through the two circular holes 154,156. The outlet port 122 of the conduit 102 extends out of the bottom circular hole 156. The inlet port 120 of the conduit 102 extends out of the top circular hole 154. The cylindrical extensions 116,118 and the regulating columns 108,110 are within the cylindrical housing 112.

(27) The first regulating column 108 and the second regulating 110 are assembled first prior to inserting into the cylindrical extensions 116,118. The regulating columns 108,110 are assembled by having the first octagonal shaped rod 141 inserted into the first coil 128, then having the first terminal block 132 attached to the opposite side of the first coil 128. The first permanent magnet 136 is then placed on one side of the first terminal block 132. The second regulating column 110 is assembled as per the first regulating column 108. The second permanent magnet 138 and the first permanent magnet 136 is placed on top of each other and sandwiched between the first terminal block 132 and the second terminal block 134.

(28) The cylindrical extensions 116,118 of the conduit 102 are positioned at a horizontal plane, on a same side 166 and spaced apart equally by an acute angle of less than ninety degrees. An imaginary reference line 172 taken from the centre of a vertical axis of the conduit 102 extending towards the same side 166. The cylindrical extensions 116,118 positioned at an angle of fifteen degrees, 15 with reference to the imaginary reference line 172 making a sum of angle 170 of thirty degrees, 30 between the two cylindrical extensions.

(29) A screw-thread hole in the middle of a square-shaped ferrule 164 is fastened by screwing on the top end of the cylindrical body 114 which has a corresponding screw thread around the periphery of the cylindrical body 114.

(30) The square-shaped ferrule 164 with the fastened cylindrical body 114 is fastened to the cylindrical housing 112 by using four screws fastened to the four corners of the square-shaped ferrule 164.

(31) The flat lid 158 is screwed into the periphery at the first end 150 of the cylindrical housing 112 using four screws. At the centre area of the flat lid 158 are two communication serial ports 162.

(32) The half spherical lid 160 is screwed into the periphery at the second end 152 of the cylindrical housing 112 using four screws.

(33) The cylindrical housing 112, the flat lid 128, the half spherical lid 160 and the square-shaped ferrule 164 are made of a non-ferromagnetic metal. One example is aluminium.

(34) The conduit 102 provides a passage for the media 101 to pass though from the inlet port 120 to the outlet port 122. At the middle of the cylindrical body 114 are two elongated bored holes across the said body 114. The elongated bored holes are slanted. The front section has a shallow cut and the rear section has a deeper cut. The angled elongated bored holes on the cylindrical hollow body 114 are to support the cylindrical extensions 116,118 that are to be joined by welding.

(35) The cylindrical extensions 116,118 provide a housing for the regulating columns 108,110 to be inserted. The two hollow internal cavities of the first cylindrical extension 116 and the second cylindrical extension 118 provide two exposed guides for the regulating columns 108,110.

(36) The regulating columns 108,110 provide either an attractive or an opposing magnetic field through the magnetic field conductors 124,126, the coils 128,130, the terminal blocks 132,134 and the permanent magnets 136,138. The magnetic field conductors 124,126 are slotted into the cylindrical extensions 116,118 converging at the hollow cylindrical body 114 so that the media 101 travelling in the conduit 102 can be manipulated easily versus being parallel when there is the presence of a magnetic field.

(37) The coils 128,130 are electromagnets with an octagonal shaped core with metallic wires coil around. There are electrical wirings connected to the coils 128,130 to control the amount of electrical current flowing through the coil 128,130 to generate a magnetic field to weaken or reinforce the magnetic field of the permanent magnets 136,138.

(38) The terminal blocks 132,134 provide a closed loop guide for the magnetic flux to travel from one regulating column to the next regulating column. There are two permanent magnets 136,138 stacked up and exerting its attraction force on the terminal blocks 132,134 to complete the closed loop guide.

(39) The controller unit 104 provides a control and maintenance of the supply current to the one or/and two coils at the regulating columns 108,110 and hence controls the magnetic flux travelling in the two columns 108,110.

(40) In addition, the controller unit 104 has an input means, having a tactile display to provide an input from a user to switch on and off the control valve 100, to control the strength of the magnetic field, to control the rate of flow of the media 101, to control the rate of fluid flow for example air. The microcontroller contains an algorithm to process the inputs from the user and the sensor(s) and controls the external components via the output port. The output port controls the supply current to the coil 128,130, controls the rate of media flow, controls the amount of media into the conduit 102, controls the fluid intake and controls the rate of fluid flow. The microcontroller performs periodic checks on the flow sensor value. Once the microcontroller detects an abnormal flow rate of media 101 in the conduit 102, the microcontroller will energise the two coils 128,130 to inhibit or the media 101 to flow through.

(41) The sensor unit 106 provides at least a detection of the rate of flow of the media 101 flowing in the conduit 102 by sensing the difference in the change of magnetic flux passing through the hollow cylindrical frame 144. Other sensor inputs may include the detection of the flow rate of the fluid, detection of the magnetic flux in the regulating columns 108,110, the detection of the presence of a user input and the detection of the presence of media 101 in the conduit 102.

(42) The cylindrical housing 112 provides an insulation from the external noises for the regulating columns 108,110. In addition, the cylindrical housing 112 provides a protective casing against the dust and grime making it suitable for the rugged environment.

(43) In use, the control valve 100 provides a two-mode operation, an operating mode and a non-operating mode. The operating mode having a peening state and a maintenance state.

(44) The control valve 100 in its non-operating state permits the media 101 to go through the conduit 102 from the inlet port 120 to the outlet port 122. The regulating columns 108,110 inserted in the two cylindrical extensions 116,118 have two permanent magnets 136,138 at the two terminal blocks 132,134 imposing a magnetic field on the media 101 which is of a ferromagnetic material through the two terminal blocks 132,134, the two coils 128,130 and the two magnetic field conductors 124,126.

(45) The magnetic field sensors 146,148 which is connected to the microcontroller detects the flow of media 101 through the conduit 102. In the case when there is a trace of media 101 flowing through or a presence of a leak, a signal from the sensor 146,148 is sent to the microcontroller creating a feedback loop which increases the supply current to the coils 128,130. Hence, increasing the magnetic field strength stopping the media 101 at the magnetic field conductors 124,126 inside the conduit 102.

(46) The control valve 100 in its operating mode controls the media 101 going through the conduit 102. The permanent magnets 136,138 supplied a base magnetic field through the magnetic field conductors 124,126 in its non-operating mode.

(47) In a shot peening operation or process, the two coils 128, 130 at the regulating column 108,110 is supplied with the electric current. A high supply current through the coils 128,130 will produce a high magnetic flux and hence interrupt the base magnetic field produced by the permanent magnets 136,138. The interruption can decrease the base magnetic field or increasing the base magnetic field. A stronger magnetic field produced by the coils 128,130 as compared to the base magnetic field, will exert a stronger influence on the media 101 travelling in the conduit 102, which will stop the flow of the media 101. A balance is made between the base magnetic field and the induced magnetic field to control the media 101 flowing.

(48) The balance is controlled by the user inputting at the tactile display. One input can be the rate of flow of the media. If a fast rate of media flow was desired, a negative magnetic flux in the coils 128,130 will cancel off the positive magnetic field providing a least resistance flow of the media 101. Conversely, if a slow rate of media flow is desired, the user can input a value that does not overpower the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnets 136,138. The entered value translates to a set supply current to the coils 128,130 which determines the magnetic flux and the magnetic field strength.

(49) In the maintenance state, the magnetic field produced by the coils 128,130 can change between positive and negative magnetic fields in a determined time frame. This is to discharge any media 101 that may be attracted to the magnetic field conductors 124,126 in the conduit 102. The two coils 128,130 can have opposing magnetic fields supplied by at least one current supply conducting in the opposite directions in the coils 128,130. The two coils 128,130 can also have carrying magnetic field strengths on each coil.

(50) Alternatively, the user input can be performed using a standard keyboard, a pointing device like a mouse to control the control valve 100. Appropriate input options like USB ports, serial ports are to be present to allow other input methods.

(51) In the application, unless specified otherwise, the terms comprising, comprise, and grammatical variants thereof, intended to represent open or inclusive language such that they include recited elements but also permit inclusion of additional, non-explicitly recited elements.

(52) As used herein, the term about, in the context of concentrations of components of the formulations, typically means +/5% of the stated value, more typically +/4% of the stated value, more typically +/3% of the stated value, more typically, +/2% of the stated value, even more typically +/1% of the stated value, and even more typically +/0.5% of the stated value.

(53) Throughout this disclosure, certain embodiments may be disclosed in a range format. The description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the disclosed ranges. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible sub-ranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

(54) It will be apparent that various other modifications and adaptations of the application will be apparent to the person skilled in the art after reading the foregoing disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the application and it is intended that all such modifications and adaptations come within the scope of the appended claims.